Fifty Really Is The New Fabulous

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It doesn’t matter how bubble, content and self-confident you are, hitting fifty has the ability to derail a big chunk of self-esteem. Don’t ask us why, it just does. You could be Karen that works in IT Support or Gabrielle Solis that lives on Wisteria Lane, that half-century mark is a big moment in every person’s life, and a big part of that is because you suddenly, for the first time in your life - look noticeably older than you feel. It’s daunting. 

Of course, as we all know, the worst thing an older woman can do to look younger is dress younger. That approach does nothing more than cast a light on your age and then adds some. Luckily, the modern woman has learned to grow old gracefully, a move that has seen the forties and fifties become ageless decades. 

There is one glaringly obvious problem, however: embracing your age is no easy feat. You suddenly have to reassess everything about your beauty regime. At best: it’s daunting. At worst: it is absolutely terrifying. So, to help you, we’ve pulled together a few beauty tips to embrace when you are in your fabulous fifties.

1. Embrace Your Skin

If there is any one thing you should do in your fifties, it is embrace your skin type and understand specifically what it is you want to address about it. This could be the common enemy that is wrinkles (or as we prefer to call them: life-lines),  or it could be other annoyances like blotchiness, the return of acne or oily skin. Our advice: target any concerns you have specifically. That’s the best way to get the best results. If you have oily skin, then the best thing for you is probably going to be an emulsion skin care routine. If you have blotchy patches, hydroquinone is a great way to address irregularities in pigmentation. For wrinkles, products rich in peptides are known to stimulate collagen and give your skin that vibrancy you want back. And finally, if you loathe your acne, then salicylic acid is still numero uno. Yes, just like when you were a teen. 

2. Stick With What Works

You’re in your fifties and that means you’ve had plenty of time to play around with different makeup brands, colours, shades and everything else. You know what works best for you, so now you just need to stick with it. Forget about experimenting with new products or trying out the latest passing trends and just stick with what works. If you are still trying to work this out, stay away from things like opaque brights, shimmer and heavy foundation because these will do nothing but highlight your creases. Instead, opt for things like rosy and coral blushes and neutral eyebrow brushes to fill in any gaps from lighter hairs. As for smoothing out your wrinkles, there are smoothing primers that work wonders, after which just pop on a little bit of foundation. That’s all there is to it. 

3. Natural Hair, Don’t Care

This is the most common area for women over fifty to start freaking out. But don’t. Like we said in that preamble bit, looking fifty has never-ever been so cherished, so embrace it and stick with your natural hair colour, even if that means slightly grey. As for hairstyles, soft waves and gentle curls are going to be way better suited to you than anything that’s too stiff. And, if you want a little pointer, especially when it comes to your dryer hair, start using your shampoo less and your conditioner more. You’ll be amazed at the results. Soft and voluminous is the aim of the game on the fifties front. If you absolutely aren’t ready to embrace the whole going grey thing, though, then you need to stick to the middle ground and avoid any colours that are either too dark or too light. Basically, black or dark brown is out (because no woman of fifty can get away with the un-faded look). As for going lighter, try highlighting in a shade that will work well with your natural colour. Then, the older you get and the lighter your hair becomes, just start using lighter highlights and you’ll find you grow old with style and grace. 

4. The Big Whisker Worry

Growing whiskers is not what any woman wants to see happening, but it is a natural part of growing older and that’s because your estrogen levels start to fall. If you want a permanent (albeit pricey) solution, then your best bet is to book in for an electrolysis session. That’ll do the job. Just be aware there is some scabbing in the short-term. If, however, this option fails to tick the right boxes, you could try threading or even get yourself a facial epilator. Like we said, sprouting hairs is a totally normal part of growing older, but there are numerous ways to shut this down. 

5. White Is More Than Alright

No, for once we’re not alluding to your greying hair and we’re not going to point you in the direction of Dame Helen Mirren for inspiration on how to embrace the white lock look. Instead, we’re broaching the teeth-whitening side of things and that’s because having white teeth will knock years - and we mean years - off your appearance. What’s more, by just going three or four shades lighter, you will get a totally natural look too. Of course, the only way to guarantee a great job is done is to pop along to a professional service and ask them for a natural finish. Sure, you may be thinking to yourself, “that’s gonna cost a bunch isn’t it?” and you would be right, it will cost you more than say a charcoal toothpaste or one of those home whitening kits. But it won’t cost as much as you might imagine. You see, the cost of made-to-measure teeth whitening services has fallen faster than Donald Trump’s popularity and that means you won’t have to buy one of those self-whitening kits that promise to punish your gums with a burning sensation. 

Women get to fifty and think they want to look younger. But that’s not the case. You want to get to fifty and look great for your age. Distinction.